Ride the Lightning, the thrash metal band’s second studio LP, is the point where they started to develop the sound they would become famous for. While retaining the fast-paced, hardcore punk-inspired tempos from Kill ‘Em All, the band began incorporating different instruments, adding more detailed harmony sections, and writing more complex songs and arrangments. This is also the last Metallica album to feature songwriting contributions from Dave Mustaine, who would later form Megadeth.